I was supposed to post earlier but this time I had a difficult task to accomplish. Crème Caramel. The reason, why I am saying difficult, is because I wanted to do the best crème caramel I could. Of course the first time was a failure. I threw everything in the garbage. But then, practice makes perfect, as they say on the other side of the Atlantic. And it is true. Eventually, I succeeded in making crème caramel. I found the recipe on a Greek site named
Greek Gastronomer. It had very analytical instructions and what really intrigued me to try this recipe, was the fact that, the writer insisted very much on the technique that one should develop, in order to make a good crème caramel. I thought it would be a good challenge, especially since I have tasted hundreds of crème caramel, which were awful, and from people who proudly advertised them as the best crème caramel in the world. I was always of the belief that, it is better to let the others say good things about you and not yourself. In that way you avoid becoming foolish sometimes. Anyway, this crème caramel is a good start for someone, like me, who had no idea before. I will try other recipes too and I will let you know of the verdict.
Crème Caramel
Ingredients
For the caramel
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
For the crème
200 ml milk 3,5%
4 eggs
200 ml heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
In a saucepan, in medium heat, we put the sugar and water. We do not whisk. Just let it boil until it becomes dark golden. We take it off very carefully and we fill either 6 to 8 ramekins depending on the size or a big one. We let the caramel become solid.
In the meantime, in the same saucepan we make the caramel. We put the milk, the heavy whipping cream and we simmer them. Please be careful not to boil it. You should be able to put your finger in it without burning it. We whisk so as the remainings of the caramel will be dissolved in the cream. When all caramel has melted, we take it off the stove and set it aside. We take a bowl made of glass and we whisk gently the eggs. We add the vanilla extract.
After that, we take the saucepan with the milk and cream mixture and slowly in the beginning pour it in the bowl with the eggs, whisking continuously but gently. I am saying gently because we do not want to have bubbles. When everything is incorporated we take a chinois and through this we fill the ramekins with the crème. In this way, any pieces of egg that were boiled, when we threw the cream, are removed from the end mixture.
Next, we take a baking pan, we feel it with warm water until its middle and we place the ramekins or the big Pyrex with the cream. We put it in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for an hour or so. To test if it is ready, you inject a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, then it is done. Above the ramekins we place a piece of aluminum, so as not for the surface to be burnt. When ready we take them out of the oven, let them cool completely and then we put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more.
To release from ramekin, sink for a few seconds in hot water and with a knife try to free the crème from the sides of the ramekin, put a plate on top and reverse. At this point, I must tell you that, it is very important not to skip any of the above steps, as they are all very important for making a good crème caramel. Good Luck.
